The Green Bay Packers offense will need to see significant steps forward from several key contributors to be successful in 2025, but there may be no bigger X-factor than slot receiver Jayden Reed, whose two seasons in Titletown have produced an interesting mix of results.
The Breakout
Jayden Reed’s NFL breakout was almost immediate as a rookie, and his quick success generated a sense of hype among Love-era Packers fans that’s only been rivaled by Edgerrin Cooper.
In 2023, Reed led the team with 793 receiving yards, which was over a hundred yards more than the next closest player, Romeo Doubs. Reed also tied Doubs for the team lead in touchdowns with eight, and became an effective red zone target for the first-year starter Jordan Love.
Reed’s skillset added a new, shiftier dimension to the Packers offense, and when he wasn’t catching passes, he contributed even more on the ground, rushing for 119 yards on eleven attempts and adding two more scores.
The Michigan State alum also produced some impressive league-wide statistics in his debut, as if the team accolades weren’t enough. Not only was he one of the league’s most reliable receivers when targeted—producing a passer rating of 123.3, which was seventh among all wide receivers—he was also one of the NFL‘s most successful receivers in the slot, finishing top ten in touchdowns, yards, receptions, and catches of fifteen yards or more.
For the first time since the prime of Randall Cobb, the Packers had found their Y, and with such a strong debut, Reed seemed poised for superstardom in 2024.
Unfortunately, he didn’t quite pass the eye test.
A Sophomore Slump?
Like many of his teammates, Jayden Reed dealt with hands issues last season. His drop rate increased from 4.5% the previous year to a staggering 15.4%, which reasonably colored many fans’ perceptions of his season.
Outside of those struggles however, Jayden remained proficient in other areas around the league. His passer rating when targeted improved to 137.5, second only to Mark Andrews’ 140.9 in Baltimore, and he still ranked top ten among slot receivers in yards and touchdowns in December, despite falling off a production cliff nearly a month beforehand.
Reed’s 857 total receiving yards led the Packers for the second-straight season, and he tacked on six touchdowns. His success on the ground also continued, to the tune of 163 yards and one more score.
But as it turns out, that aforementioned cliff was a killer.
Jayden Reed seemed to be himself through the first nine games of 2024, even with backup quarterback Malik Willis at the helm for two of them. Reed produced three games over a hundred yards and three others of at least fifty yards in that span, and was targeted at least six times in two thirds of those games.
When the back half of the season rolled around however, Reed practically disappeared. He only produced one game of fifty yards or more in the final nine, and was only targeted at least six times in a game twice.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur later confirmed that Reed was banged up towards the end of the season, and he even took some responsibility for Reed’s lack of usage. Despite those justifications however, Green Bay Packers fans would’ve loved to see more from their young wide receiver, especially when the room desperately needed someone to step up.
Off-Season Tensions
Things got complicated for Jayden Reed this off-season when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Reed’s new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, had met with Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to “clarify Reed’s status in Green Bay” after the draft.
Schefter’s report promptly started rumors that Reed was disgruntled, both by his lack of usage at the end of 2024, and by the fact that the Packers had drafted two new receivers in the early rounds.
Reed wouldn’t have been the first Packers receiver to express his frustrations if true, with Romeo Doubs reportedly skipping practice during the season in 2024 on account of his role, and Dontayvion Wicks expressing his disagreement in the off-season with Josh Jacobs’ push for a “proven” wide-receiver one in Green Bay.
Reed later disputed the report himself however, stating that Rosenhaus had planned to meet with Gutekunst regardless of the draft’s results, primarily to establish a relationship and be “on the same page.”
2025’s Outlook
Regardless of the reason for Rosenhaus’ meeting, Jayden Reed will likely have a chip on his shoulder heading into 2025, which could be beneficial to a Green Bay Packers offense that desperately needs consistency from its wideouts. If Reed is able to put together his best traits and leave his drops behind, he’ll likely lead the team in receiving for a third-straight year, and have a chance to become the full-time superstar he’s shown the potential to be.
